Laid off Bruins workers planning to fight back against Jeremy Jacobs

In case you missed it yesterday, Boston Bruins owner Jeremy Jacobs announced in a prepared statement through his parent company Delaware North that the corporation is temporary laying off and reducing salaries for over two-thirds of the company’s 3,100 employees. That’s over 2,000 affected workers… during the worst economic crisis of our time.

In typical Jacobs fashion, the news was announced with some… interesting language. I mean… just read this statement taken from Delaware North’s press release:

Because of the sheer size of the company’s workforce and the uncertainty over when the crisis will subside, Delaware North CEOs Jerry Jacobs Jr., Lou Jacobs and Charlie Jacobs have made the agonizing but unavoidable decision to place more than two-thirds of the company’s 3,100 full-time employees on temporary leave.
 

“Agonizing but unavoidable?” Give me a break… the Jacobs family are worth nearly $4 billion. They can afford to keep every single employee paid and not even their great, great, great, great, great grandchildren would notice the loss of their money.

Now, several off the laid off workers are apparently considering unionizing and fighting back against their employer, according to a report from Marisa Ingemi of The Boston Herald.

Check it out:

I’ve loved working here for a few years and I would’ve never expected anything like this,” one TD Garden employee told the Herald. “At our most vulnerable, weakest moment, management has turned their backs on us. I really appreciate the generosity of players who have tried to help, but I hope they use their influence to ask Mr. Jacobs to reconsider his position. People are really hurting. Some of my coworkers at the Garden who have reached out may not be able to pay the bills.”

One employee said there have been some unionization efforts by employees, but it’s in the early stages.

Not to be outdone though, Carolina Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon apparently took Jacobs’ heartless approach with his employees as a challenge and has one-upped his divisional rival by laying off his staff with just two days notice.

According to Hurricanes insider Chip Alexander, the Hurricanes informed staff today that they’ll no longer be paid past Friday.

From Alexander’s latest article for The Raleigh News & Observer:

Carolina Hurricanes full-time employees were informed Wednesday they will no longer be paid after this week because of the uncertainty caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Don Waddell, president and general manager of the Hurricanes, instructed all non-contracted full-time employees to immediately use their accrued vacation time and personal time off (PTO). Employees without available vacation time or PTO will be off without pay.

Waddell did not indicate how long the policy might be in place in his emailed communication with the employees, nor indicate how their health benefits and other employee benefits would be affected. The policy does not affect contracted employees such as senior management, coaches or scouts.

Waddell reportedly made the decree via email saying, “We have been exploring multiple options on how best to take care of our employees while being mindful of the business challenges we face.”